How do I parse all values from a given XML element using a Google App Script?

Question

I am trying to parse temperature data into a google spreadsheet from a NOAA source with xml of the form:

..... <parameters applicable-location="point1">
<temperature type="maximum" units="Fahrenheit" time-layout="k-p24h-n7-1">
<name>Daily Maximum Temperature</name>
<value>63</value>
<value>72</value>
<value>76</value>
<value>78</value>
<value>74</value>
<value>62</value>
<value>58</value>
</temperature>
<temperature type="minimum" units="Fahrenheit" time-layout="k-p24h-n6-2">
<name>Daily Minimum Temperature</name>
<value>52</value>
<value>58</value>
<value>56</value>
<value>60</value>
<value>48</value>
<value>45</value>
</temperature>
</parameters>
</data>
</dwml>

I would like each of the numbers inside the tags from both the maximum and minimum headings to be in separate cell in a spreadsheet. My current script is:

function Temperatures() { var text = UrlFetchApp.fetch("http://graphical.weather.gov/xml/SOAP_server/ndfdXMLclient.php?whichClient=NDFDgen&lat=38.99&lon=-77.01&listLatLon=&lat1=&lon1=&lat2=&lon2=&resolutionSub=&listLat1=&listLon1=&listLat2=&listLon2=&resolutionList=&endPoint1Lat=&endPoint1Lon=&endPoint2Lat=&endPoint2Lon=&listEndPoint1Lat=&listEndPoint1Lon=&listEndPoint2Lat=&listEndPoint2Lon=&zipCodeList=&listZipCodeList=&centerPointLat=&centerPointLon=&distanceLat=&distanceLon=&resolutionSquare=&listCenterPointLat=&listCenterPointLon=&listDistanceLat=&listDistanceLon=&listResolutionSquare=&citiesLevel=&listCitiesLevel=&sector=&gmlListLatLon=&featureType=&requestedTime=&startTime=&endTime=&compType=&propertyName=&product=time-series&begin=2004-01-01T00%3A00%3A00&end=2017-04-12T00%3A00%3A00&Unit=e&maxt=maxt&mint=mint&Submit=Submit").getContentText();
return parse(text);
function parse(text) {
var doc = Xml.parse(text, true);
var temps = doc.dwml.data.getElement("parameters").getElement("temperature").getElements("value").getText();
return temps
}
}

However, running this script parses only a single reading—the first tag, 63, into a cell. If I change .getElement(“value”).getText(); to .getElements(“value”).getText(); I receive the following error message: “TypeError: Cannot find function getText in object.”

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

Ron

Brian · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-16 03:15:01Z

1

First read the elements into an array by calling .getElements("value") and then loop through the result array and getText from each.

var doc = Xml.parse(text, true);
var temps = [];  // temps will be an array
temps = doc.dwml.data.getElement("parameters").getElement("temperature").getElements("value");
for (var i=0; i < temps.length; i++)
{
  var value = temps[i].getText();
  // do something with the value..
  Logger.log(value);
}

answered Apr 16, 2013 at 3:15

Brian

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4 Comments

user2284253 Over a year ago

Brian, I appreciate your insight quick response. Your suggestion makes a lot of sense. However, after I added your addition and the line "return value" to my script, I continue to get output of just "63" in a single cell rather than the intended "63" in cell A1, "72" in cell A2..."45" in cell A13. I feel that I may be missing a step. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Brian Over a year ago

You have two issues. when you write "return value" it will exit the "for loop" after only one pass. You need to write the value to the spreadsheet on each pass...there are many ways you can do that, however try this ..."return value;" with this SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheets().[0].appendRow([value]);

Brian Over a year ago

............. with this SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheets().[0].appendRow([value]); Note: if you are are not in an embeded spreadsheet and are in a standalone App Script, use SpreadsheetApp.open(FILE_ID) instead. The other issue you have is that you will not be able to parse all of these at once, only the values in each temperature element.....

Brian Over a year ago

You could also load the values into an array (results[i] = value;) and then return back the array to the calling function (return results)

Nate S · Accepted Answer · 2017-01-13 07:38:29Z

1

This is an old post but I couldn't find a great answer out there. Here is a pair of scripts that work nicely using the new XmlService, and are iterative to get children of arbitrary depth.

function XMLtoAssocArray(xmlString) {
  var xml = XmlService.parse(xmlString)
  var root = xml.getRootElement()
  return XMLhelper(root)
}


function XMLhelper(Element){
  var children = Element.getChildren()
  var out = {}
  if(children.length>0){
    for (var ii = 0; ii<children.length; ii++){
      var child = children[ii]
      var name = child.getName();
      out[name] = XMLhelper(child)
    }
  } else {
    out = Element.getText()
  }
  return out
}

answered Jan 13, 2017 at 7:38

Nate S

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